If you are reading this it must be getting close to summer. Does it feel like it yet? I sure hope so. As I’m writing this, it was summer like today. Awesome! Love it! Only thing, I missed spring somewhere. I know it arrived in March, but I don’t think it ever got itself unpacked. Oh, well, I guess some years are like that. I just don’t really remember one quite like this one.

Tuesday May 28th Howard “Guitar” Luedtke & Blue Max get the 5th season of Tuesday Night Blues at Owen Park started just like they did in season 1. How do you follow a local legend? Only with another 13 Tuesday nights of great music including two Grammy nominated artist on the schedule this year! The 3rd week of the TNB season will feature Bryan Lee. The “Braille Blues Daddy” of New Orleans will grace our stage with his band on his way to play at Buddy Guy’s Legends club in Chicago the following Friday night. According to Duke Robillard “Whether he’s wailing a Freddy King inspired blues ballad, stomping out low down and dirty blues, or getting down with a super funky New Orleans groove, Bryan Lee is gonna grab your soul and squeeze it till you scream in blues ecstasy.”

TNB will present great bands presenting with a little rock, funk, soul, and maybe even some country or reggae mixed with their blues stylings. The “best of the valley” will be present in the form of Mojo Lemon, Left Wing Bourbon and of course Blue Max. If you haven’t heard Revolver yet, be sure to treat yourself on June 4th and hear the collaboration of Nick Foytick & John Nietz and the rest of this explosive blues band. The Tommy Bentz Band is back on June 18th with an infusion of southern rock & boogie. Then in time to turn up the heat and get your blood boiling it’s Code Blue with Catya & Sue, not to mention Lucas (K) Fischer, Randy Sinz & Mr. Drum Machine, John LeBrun. And that’s just June! There’s more to come! Heck just to give you a hint, we keep things rockin’ with a funky beat in July with Left Wing Bourbon on the 2nd to start the fireworks for the holiday week.

Check out the entertainment calendar on the home page of Chippewa Valley Blues Society website (bands be sure to send us your schedules), you can find links to many of the bands at www.chippewavalleyblues.com and more info at the Tuesday Night Blues Facebook page www.facebook.com/tnblues.

We can always use more sponsors to keep Tuesday Night Blues going. If you’re interested contact us at the website. There are links for membership, mailing lists and more sponsor information for Tuesday Night Blues.

Blues On The Chippewa has a schedule taking shape. This will be a 3-day event for the 2nd year, with big names all 3 nights. I heard a rumor Sunday includes Lamont Cranston with Bruce McCabe. Keep checking back at http://www.bluesonthechippewa.org/ for more info.

I know I said it before, but it’s worth repeating, the Chippewa Valley Blues Society recently joined The Blues Foundation as an affiliate member. This organization coordinates nationwide events and has an annual international competition for the best blues band. The Blues Foundation also maintains and coordinates the Blues Hall Of Fame. We hope to send a representative from here to that competition soon.